Heya, guys! I'm back again with a new chapter of 'Enemies or Lovebirds' and I hope you'll all enjoy it. Isn't it great that this is a regular update? Yeah, I thought so, too… it was extremely surprising. But, as it turns out, you can't do much when you're stuck in your chair, barely able to walk, so suddenly I've got lots of free time. I swear, muscle ache does not get better when you run for ninety minutes without a break after you've gotten it by running for fifty minutes without a break. And all of that untrained, of course. But it was a test in P.E. and so it had to be done… oh well.

So, I wanted to thank all of you who reviewed for the last chapter… and those who reviewed the one before that… and before that… and so on. Thanks for supporting me with this story. It means much. So this chapter is dedicated to you.

Disclaimer: This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring characters copyrighted and trademarked by Disney Enterprises Inc. It is based upon High School Musical, copyright 2006 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved; and High School Musical 2, copyright 2007 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved and High School Musical 3, copyright 2008 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved. The author is not connected with nor is this work authorised by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., or any other motion picture studios. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorised copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.

Recap of the last chapter:

Troy sighed. He knew he had to try it anyways if he ever wanted to come on good terms with Gabriella again. "Gabriella, I didn't cheat on you. How many times do I have to repeat that until you believe me? She set us up; she sent you the text you got. I never wrote you should come over to mine!" Gabriella laughed wryly. "Of course you didn't! You didn't want your lie to be busted, did you? To say the truth, I'm glad she sent it. If she hadn't, I would have never known the truth about you and your lies." Troy shook his head. Already resigned, he tried to convince her one last time: "Damn it, there wasn't anything to be busted. She tricked me, she tricked you, she tricked us! I never meant to hurt you, Gabriella!"

Gabriella didn't believe a word he said. "Oh, of course, and saying I'd be a prude, who wouldn't understand if there were other girls liking you doesn't mean to be hurting either, or what? Even if you didn't intend on hurting me: that certainly was the best way to do so!" Troy starred at her in utter shock. "You heard that? How the hell?" Gabriella just laughed irritated. "Oh, of course you didn't think I would ever hear it, did you? You thought you could fool me with your pathetic tries to apologize and saying you didn't cheat? Well, then you thought wrong! I did hear your words and even if I didn't… Taylor was standing right next to Chad as you said it. You don't think she wouldn't have told me if I hadn't known it already?" Troy grew white as if he had seen a ghost. That really hadn't been his cleverest move.

…

Gabriella shook her head at the memory. "You really blew it, you know? If I had believed you under any circumstances, then it was gone by the time I heard you saying that. This is something you really messed up, Troy!"

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Chapter nine – Back to bedlam

"You messed up!" The words were stuck in Troy's head, as he was repeating them over and over. They had definitely shocked him. It wasn't that he didn't know he had messed up, it was hearing Gabriella say it that brought him to really being hit with that perception. And that was something Troy had never wanted to happen. Because, in his opinion, messing up anything in his life wasn't an option. And for that it really hurt to know that he had done it, indeed.

And if it could get even worse, he had messed up the best thing ever happened to him. Only that he had tried to forget that for the past years. But now, being reminded again, and even by Gabriella herself, he didn't want to forget. No, now for the first time in two years, he really wanted to work things out with her. He didn't know why. Why now or why at all, just plainly why. And he also didn't know if Gabriella was ready to work things out between them. Seeing as she stood right there in front of him, eyes still filled with fury and hurt, he somehow doubted it.

And he was right. She didn't want to work it out, make it up and then go on with life as if nothing had ever happened. Now it was her that just wanted to forget. Forget and never be reminded again. Too bad that life doesn't always go the way you want it to. And too bad, that your best friends sometimes decide to stab you in the back because they feel it necessary to do so. Unknowingly, Gabriella glared furiously at the boy seeming at a loss for words, turning around to Taylor, not foreboding what was to come.

Unfortunately, she had missed the looks that had been exchanged between her two best friends and their boyfriends for the time she had relieved all those – good and bad – memories with Troy. Sharpay, once being the smarter one out of Taylor and her herself, had sensed the major tension hanging between the two more or less fighting teenagers and immediately started to make up a plan to get the two of them to once have a normal conversation, with no pupils lusting for new gossip being around. If there was anyone who knew what to do to manoeuvre Gabriella into doing something she usually wouldn't do over her dead body, then it was her.

And so it was a big surprise for Gabriella, as she didn't find her best friends standing a few feet away from her, but directly in her way. "Where do you think are you going?" Sharpay asked, showing all her perfect white teeth in a big smile. Gabriella starred at her in shock. "Did you not just witness the whole scene here? Where do you think I'm going? In position to dance with that jerk? Certainly not. I'm not doing this, Shar. I'm really sorry, because it'll be not only me who gets embarrassed but all of us, but I can't. I really can't, I know I wouldn't be able to stand more than five minutes in his presence."

Each of her words cut Troy like a knife. So, she did not only despise him, she hated him, he made her sick. That wasn't exactly what he had been going for. In fact, he had gotten his hopes up for them to find a peaceful solution, but apparently that wasn't possible. He couldn't blame her, though, it did seem as if he had slept with Tiara – he realised that he actually did remember her name – and if he were in Gabriella's shoes, he probably wouldn't have acted any different. Except that he might have actually listened to her explaining.

But thinking 'what if' and such wasn't going to help him here. In fact, he thought, there was nothing that could help him anymore. Unless there would be a wonder happening and he had lost his believing in wonders when he had been four years old and lost his teddy on a street. Knowing that it was dangerous to try and save him, little Troy had desperately begged God for sending a storm or something else, although there wasn't even a little breeze blowing. His teddy had lost his head, after being run over by a heavy truck. From that day on, Troy Bolton had stopped believing in wonders.

And now this situation was just as helpless as little Troy had been all those years ago. It was like their relationship was the teddy and Gabriella's opinion the breeze that wasn't coming. Only that the truck wasn't just about to run over the teddy, but their relationship had already lost its head, the truck being Tiara and her little staging. So why waiting for a wonder, if it already was too late? Troy knew that it made no sense, and therefore turned around also, speculating if he should casually walk or run out of the gym. However, who needed wonders coming from God if there were friends that had the craziest ideas?

Being stopped by his two best friends, Chad and Zeke, Troy wondered why they had evil smiles playing in their faces. He knew the look in their eyes and he didn't like it. The last time he had witnessed it had been before he had been forced to kiss Gabriella in a game of truth or dare somewhere along the time in Freshman Year. He had been head over heels for her that time and … No, Troy! He stopped himself. He really didn't want to go there. And he wouldn't have had the time to do so anyways, because by the time he had gotten to the last point, he could already feel himself being dragged out of the gym.

What the hell…? Being dragged out? Wasn't that a bit … pathetic? He had wanted to escape the gym anyways, so what was the use of helping him? He hadn't lost his ability to walk, had he? Of course, he did feel like being stabbed, but that didn't mean that he was actually bleeding to death. He could walk by himself, verily, he didn't need any help. But what was the use in complaining either? It wasn't like it was the wrong direction and it didn't make any difference to it. At least he thought so.

Had he known that he wasn't the only one experiencing being shorn of his free will for a short amount of time, he might have thought about it twice. But nobody had eyes in the back of their head, and this time Troy Bolton wasn't making any difference. Otherwise he would have seen Taylor and Sharpay grabbing Gabriella at her arms and forcing her to come along with them as well. The first few seconds, Gabriella Montez was stunned. Never before had someone dared to drag her along, especially not after she had gone off like that. But here she was, seeming to have lost her own will.

But certainly not for long. If Troy couldn't see her, he could without doubt hear her. Giving a high pitched scream no one had ever heard from her before, she tried to wriggle free from their grasp, but unsuccessfully. The last time she had tried to break away from somebody who had hold onto her didn't bring very good memories with it. As long as she could remember it had been Troy, trying to get her to stay with him. And she remembered only to well how heartbroken she had been in the aftermath of that situation.

Understandable that she didn't want a repeat of it. But there was no protest being helpful. If a girl had something set in her mind, then there was no way you could keep her off from whatever she was going to do. And anyone who could think would get that if there were two girls determined to do something then there was no way to not see your hopes of escape dashed. And Taylor and Sharpay were kind of paradigms for people with an enormous tough will.

So it wasn't a surprise for anyone that Gabriella couldn't win against her to best friends. And though some pitied her deeply for that what was to come – it was obvious, really -, no one made a move to stop what was going on. All of the present girls and boys knew that there was no case Gabriella and Troy would work together if they couldn't find a way to dissolve their problems. And the only way to do so was … talking.

And if they didn't want to, then someone had to beat them to it. And it was obviously that everyone was set out to do exactly that. Force them to talk to each other. So Chad and Zeke, who had had to bring up a lot of fortitude to keep dragging Troy out, because he had refused to take a single step after Gabriella's scream, wanting to know what was the matter, finally managed to get him through the doors of the gym. Waiting there for the three girls – Gabriella with wide eyes, already supposing what the other four had in mind –, they did their best to keep Troy in place and not look back.

They knew that, if he saw Gabriella, he would get tense again, declining to even look at her, not to mention speak. Her comment had hurt him more than he had shown, but what for were best friends, if they didn't know how you felt? And that talking to each other was necessary … there was no doubt in that. Too bad, that Gabriella didn't see things that way. Seeing that the three boys had stopped in front of the gym, she once again started an attempt to break away. "Come on, guys, you can't want to make me do this. This is uncalled for and you know it!"

Her friends weren't having any of it. Releasing the huffing girl in their middle only when they had reached the boys, they ignored the shocked looks and protest from the broken-up couple by going inside again, leaving them to be alone. Exchanging one look with Troy, Gabriella slowly bit her lower lip, mind racing. Glancing sideways, she decided to just go back in. The door wasn't closed and there was no one to hold her back. At least that was what she thought. Making two steps in the direction that meant safety, she froze dead in her tracks, as she felt a strong grip at her elbow.

It was Troy. Of course it was Troy, when had there ever been another? Both in a real relationship and in holding her back from doing something she really wanted to. Neither of them she really appreciated. Giving a jerk, she tried to free herself and again – it wasn't working. Of course, girl, what were you thinking? Freeing yourself just isn't your speciality. Maybe you should just give up on it. Her thoughts nearly made Gabriella laugh out loud. Not that it would be adequate, really.

But nevertheless, it was too late anyways. It wasn't only Troy holding her back, no. Taylor had become aware of the fact that they had left the door open and scampered over as fast as she could to get them closed. Settling on ignoring Troy, Gabriella shouted directly at the gym doors: "Okay, guys, whatever it is that you're planning, it isn't working and it won't be working. You could just let me in again and we could spare us a whole lot of discomposure." She heard Troy snort beside her, but she chose to ignore it. Instead she listened to Sharpay's screeching voice, managing to be heard halfway through the gym and the wooden doors.

"Dream on, Gabby. You two need to talk and you need to do it urgently. Otherwise we'll loose that damn contest. One that you are responsible for, may I add!" Gabriella groaned. She just had to have mentioned that, hadn't she? "You're willing to see me suffer just because of a freaking contest?" She tried balk-talking, but it didn't work, for no one came to let her in again. For Troy, however, that comment worked very well. Well, not exactly in the meant way, but it did manage to get him worked up at least.

Jerking her away from the door and spinning her around so she had to face him, he tightened his grip around her arm, so that it nearly hurt. Shocked by his rushed actions, Gabriella didn't even have the chance to open her mouth to scream at him, as he already swamped her with a heated oration: "Suffering? Very funny, Gabriella, very funny. You think you're the only one having to go through this, don't you? Newsflash: You're not! You don't think I could be hurt because of some of your stupid comments? Well, I am. You may believe it or not, but I do have feelings. And I'm getting tired of you always walking all over me, just because you didn't want to bloody listen! Hell, do you even care about anyone else but you? Can you just once think of someone else? Of me, for example?

It freaking is not my fault that we're in this situation. Or better, it is, but certainly not entirely. You could have just listened back then, but you chose not to. Why? Because you didn't trust me? Because you didn't have any faith in our relationship? Of course you didn't. And that's definitely not my fault!" Troy didn't even notice that he was shouting at her, that he was frightening her. All he could think about at the moment was the fact that she had walked over him all these times and he had simply let her. And he didn't intend in doing that again.

Gabriella stood there, feet stuck against the earth, not even daring to breath. She watched him exploding, releasing all of the feelings he had bottled up over all the previous years, screaming at her and accusing her. And she was as scared as never before in all of the situations she had undergone with him. Never before had he screamed at her like this, never before had he been this angry with her. Naturally he had been upset with her from time to time – you couldn't be enemies if you got along too well -, but he had never been this way.

And that frightened her more than she would ever admit. Starring up at him with big eyes, she watched him calm down a little, finally realising that he had had increased his pressure at her elbow to a nearly impossible high. It was a wonder that she hadn't screamed out in pain. Hastily loosening his grip at her, he bit his own lip, not believing he had done this. He had told her how he felt and he had really done it, in a way that he never wanted to go again. Because he had scared Gabriella. He could see it in her eyes, which were now looking up at him with the most hurt gaze he had ever seen.

And he felt ashamed like never before in his entire life. How could he? How could he have gone and screamed at her like that, frightened her like that? It was no surprise she despised him, after all he had done. And it wouldn't be a bigger surprise if she would now take to downright hating him and leave him standing here this instant. At least that was what he deserved in his opinion. However, Gabriella didn't once think about leaving. No, she couldn't, even if she had wanted to. Her knees were way too weak to do anything else but managing to hold her up.

Searching for support, she leant herself back against the gym wall, Troy's hand flipping in her direction, in an attempt to steady her. One angry look from her, though, and his hand had vanished as if it had never been there. Reclining against the wall, she tried to compose herself, not even looking once in Troy's direction, the boy standing in front of her like a lost puppy who had been abandoned. "So you want to blame this on me?", she asked him, her voice shaking from the even sustained shock. He closed his eyes. She hadn't listened to him.

There it was where he was wrong. She had indeed listened, but she was still trying to work out what he had just said. And right now that wasn't so easy. "Don't think I didn't listen!" Now her voice seemed cold, even distant. "I know that you partly blamed yourself – correctly, if I may add –", she threw one look at him, but that said more than enough. She still didn't plan on ever forgiving him. "But you also have the guts to say that I, too, am to blame. Wrong, mister. I didn't listen, so? Don't tell you would have listened to me after I had cheated on you – which I'd never have done by the way. No, no, no, don't go shaking your head, you know I'm right!"

And she was. Troy had to admit that maybe he wouldn't have listened. But he hadn't cheated on her, bloody hell! Why couldn't he get that through to her? Ah, of course, because he had only mentioned it around ten-thousand times beforehand! No reason to maybe try and think about it! He shook his head. He didn't like sarcasm. It didn't go well with most of the things he said. Anyways, how to convince Gabriella to let him say what he wanted to? "Alright, maybe I wouldn't have!", he softened his tone. "But you could have let me explain it after you had calmed down!"

Gabriella winced. "Explain? What is there left to explain? You got bored of me, didn't have the guts to tell me, instead lied to my face and cheated on me with a sluttish cheerleader! That's a clear message, don't you think?" By now her look was speaking for itself. The tears glistening in her eyes showed that she wasn't angry anymore, she was upset and disappointed. It had been the first time she had actually said it to his face, the first time that she had told him how she really felt. And in her opinion she could have done without it. Turning around and facing the door again, she snatched for the door handle.

"Please, don't go." The words were spoken so softly that they were barely audible and if there had been a breeze blowing, it would have most definitely carried them away, so that they stayed unheard, but it wasn't windy. And Gabriella heard them perfectly well. Again she froze. It wasn't a demand, it was begging. Troy Bolton was begging her to stay. He was begging her to let him explain. And she really didn't know if she should let him. What was the use? But what's the use if you go now and run away again and you go several other years with hating him? A little voice inside her head told her to stay. And Gabriella Montez was always one to listen to her head. So she stayed.

*

Inside the gym, everyone was silent, trying to listen to the conversation going on outside. And most of the time it wasn't that difficult, seeing as their screaming was sure to be heard all over the school grounds. And the yelling wasn't pretty, especially concerning the content. No one really felt comfortable with hearing the feelings of the two most popular students of East High displayed to them. And most wished it would go away, which it did soon enough. After Gabriella's accusation against Troy, they hadn't heard another word from them. And that didn't really leave them untroubled.

Slowly, Chad approached Taylor. "You don't think one of them has gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick and now they are strangling each other, which would be an explanation as to why they're not screaming anymore?" Taylor looked at him with narrowed eyebrows. "There was nothing to get hold of the wrong end of the stick, Chad. To me it was all pretty clear, wasn't it? I mean there was nothing you could be mistaken about." Chad looked at her doubtfully. "You really think so?" Taylor just nodded. Sometimes it was a pity that Chad didn't comprehend more of the current events.

"And I'm sure they are not strangling each other, honey!", she added just in time, before Chad could open his mouth to ask about that part again. Curious, he closed his mouth again. After trying to think about it, he asked: "How did you know what I was going to say?" Taylor shook her head. Explaining wouldn't do any good right now, she supposed. So she just kissed him lightly on the lips and answered: "Because I love you." Chad started to beam, his worries already forgotten again. "I love you, too!"

*

Hesitantly turning around, Gabriella let her eyes linger on Troy, questions obvious in her eyes. She didn't need to ask them, he already knew what she wanted to know. Seeing the tears still in her eyes, he wished nothing more than to wipe them away, but he knew she would leave as soon as he only made so much as an attempt to do it. So he resorted to starting explaining instead. "I didn't cheat on you, Gabriella, you have to believe me!" The desperation was visible in his eyes, but still she wasn't sure about whether to believe him or not.

He could lie, he could say anything and she wouldn't be able to prove it, because Tiara, the girl he had or hadn't slept with, had moved away only two weeks after the incident. So there was no one to ask, but Gabriella was already confident that she would have gotten a confirmation of Troy cheating on her. True, Tiara had never had the audacity to actually vulgarize the story all over the school, telling someone about what had happened, so no one knew about it. But there had been comment slipped to Gabriella by her, tearing at her already broken heart and verifying everything that she had seen. So there really was no reason to believe him. She was ready to shake her head to show him she didn't believe him, as he spoke on.

"You've gotta believe me! I didn't cheat; I know that it looked like it, but I didn't! She set me up, she set you up! She sent you the text; I should have known she was up to something like that after I had noticed that my cell phone was lying on my bed. I really didn't do anything. We didn't do anything!" Troy starred at her intently while he was talking, but at the same time he didn't know why he was telling her all this. It was not as if she would trust him anyways, he could see her disbelieve being displayed freely in her eyes.

Starting to pace up and down, Gabriella restrained herself from looking at him: she knew that she would end up crying if she did. She hated him messing with her head, making her feel this way and she hated herself not being able to do anything about it. And she couldn't stand that Troy had once again repeated what he had told her all along. Why couldn't he get that she was over it? Why couldn't he get that she had seen it? Seen it with her own eyes and there was nothing he could do to take things back to square one. "Hell, Troy! Why don't you get it? I saw it! I saw her with you; you were half naked, for God's sake! And she was kissing you with her hands on your chest! That's not precisely what I would be calling 'doing nothing'!"

"But that's my point! That's exactly my point! She was kissing me, not the other way round! Hell, I didn't even know why she was there in my room in first place; she just started making suggestions after she had seen me come in with only a towel…" He bit on his tongue, before he could speak on any further. Damn it, as long as he was concerned that was a fact that Gabriella hadn't known … until now. And that only, because he couldn't freaking think before he opened his mouth. And that Gabriella had really not known about the towel part was pretty obvious.

Her jaw hanging wide open in pure shock, she starred at him incredulous. That was something she definitely hadn't expected to hear. "She saw you in only a towel? To a time we – you and me – were going out? Oh my freaking god, that's something I didn't need and didn't want to know about, thank you very much!"

And she didn't even want to imagine how it had come that he had been in his blue jeans and not in the towel anymore when she had found them practically making-out. Urgh! She really didn't want to have to puke, but that thought simply made her dizzy in her head. Could they actually have … Stop, Gabriella! Don't go there! A frightened voice inside her head screamed at her and she shook her head, trying to get the sickening idea out of it. Troy, however, didn't seem to catch her disgusted, shocked face. Encouraged that she hadn't already walked away after he had revealed that Tiara had seen him in less clothes than Gabriella ever had, he dared to make a joke.

"You're not jealous, are you, Montez? Don't tell me you're mad, because you didn't get to see me in that. You could have just said something back then." Sometimes that boy really had the worst timing ever for his jokes, because apparently it was much too early for those. He didn't see her hand coming, but he could feel it all the better. "You're a pig, Bolton! And did I forget to mention an egoistical jerk, which's so big-headed that it's a surprise he actually fits through a door frame?" Troy raised his hand to his stinging cheek. "And did I mention that your hand's hanging really too loose lately?"

His voice had gotten cold and distant again, nothing reminded of the joking manner he had spoken in only seconds before any more. Although he couldn't really blame her for slapping him again. He had, after all, made a joke about a serious matter – serious to the both of them at least. And he knew that she was more than touchy about it, so practically it was his own fault. But that knowledge didn't lessen the pain he was feeling right now, both physically and emotionally. And it certainly didn't reduce the anger that was already building up again – anger coupled with guilt. And those two feelings didn't go well together as he had already learned in previous experience.

Gabriella stiffened. Troy was right and she knew it. She shouldn't have done that. Violence wasn't going to solve anything and resorting to it wouldn't get her anywhere. But before she could possibly even think about apologizing to him, someone stepped in and it was neither one of the pupils from inside the gym nor anyone Gabriella wanted to see at the moment. And as it seemed, Troy wasn't so happy about the appearing person, either. "Oh my god, sweetie, are you alright? I saw that bitch slapping you, did she hurt you?" Gabriella groaned inwardly at the whiny, high-pitched voice.

Amber had obviously been watching them and finally decided to step in, after she had felt that Troy was in a life-threatening situation and needed her help. Of course, Gabriella thought angrily, Troy couldn't defend himself, no, he needed a cheerleader to help him out, especially the one whose biggest concern was not to break herself a fingernail. Had that girl no sense? But before she could question Amber's sanity any further, she already found herself being the newest target.

Whirling around, Amber pointed her finger at Gabriella. "You! How could you have possibly dared to touch him? How could you have dared to hurt him?" Gabriella nearly snorted. Would she have been happier if she had kissed him? Which, of course, wasn't an option and would never be again – probably. Gabriella already threw an irritated look at Troy, ready to blow up at Amber and give her a piece of her mind, but obviously Amber wasn't finished with her little defence speech. "And what the hell are you doing out here anyways, speaking to him? You lost that right to do that after you dumped him back in Sophomore Year!"

Gabriella couldn't believe her. Since when do you need permission or the right to speak to someone? Especially if that certain someone wanted to talk to you in first place? And if she recalled correctly she had have every right to dump him back in Sophomore Year. It wasn't as if it was her that had been unfaithful. "You don't know what happened, so you don't deserve a say in this, Amber. It's none of your damn business, so shut the hell up!", Gabriella exclaimed, her nerves not longer sustaining Amber's whiny voice and her self-aggrandising attitude. Troy made a step forward, but stayed put on second thought. Maybe intervening wasn't the best idea right now. Gabriella was already fuming and he didn't need another one of her clangourous slaps.

But soon he noticed that it wasn't necessary to step in. Both Amber and Gabriella seemed to get on with the situation and nobody intended on backing up. "I don't know what happened?" Amber seemed to be at a wave of triumph. 'Why?' was the only question left. "Yeah, you don't know. You weren't there!", Gabriella retorted, her cheeks turning red. It was amazing how she always seemed so calm and collected when she fought with Troy – she hadn't once been red in the face afterwards -, but couldn't seem to do it when she fought with someone else. Troy would feel honoured if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't exactly like fighting with her.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of myself now, if I were in your shoes! Of course I know what happened, the speculations were all over the school if you don't remember." Oh yeah, Gabriella just remembered to good how it had been going to school for the next three weeks after she had broken things off with Troy. But that didn't mean that the people knew what had really happened. But before she could retort, Amber already went on, chirping happily as if she wouldn't be talking about a break-up, but about her own marriage or anything.

"Oh no, don't you think I heard it from the gossip mill. No, no. I don't know if you were paying attention to that time – I don't think so, I guess you were preoccupied with other things –", she smirked evilly, "but Tiara was one of my closest friends before she moved away. And you can believe me, she told me everything. And trust me, to say she was enthralled by Troy's kisses would be the understatement of the century!" Amber smirked, seeing Gabriella falter at her words. But she wasn't the only one to notice that the brunette was hurting.

Troy did, too. Well, that wasn't a big wonder, for he had observed her quite intently to step in before things could get too nasty. And to say that he was angry would really be the understatement of the century. "Amber?" Troy dared to shim in for the first time since she had arrived. "You do realise you're dumped, don't you?" He couldn't believe it. How could Amber tell Gabriella about something like that, when she knew that nothing had happened between them besides that one kiss – and she had to know if Tiara really had been her best friend.

Amber, however, was shocked. "What! But, but, Troy… you can't… you won't… you wouldn't…" She couldn't seem to get a whole sentence together. But Troy could care less. "Stop stammering, you're old enough to get along with this. You'd think it's your first time getting dumped if you could see yourself. And I highly doubt that this is your first time!" He knew he was being evil, but it didn't matter to him any more. "But I'm your girlfriend!" Amber desperately searched for reasons why Troy couldn't just dump her. Gabriella rolled her eyes. So what? Even if she was – or, more correctly, had been – his girlfriend… dumping someone was the act to get rid of boy- or girlfriends. So there was no way you could reason with "I'm your girlfriend!"

Troy was thinking something along the line. And he knew that Amber was lying at the same time. "You never were my girlfriend; I would never ask someone like you out. And even if I did, I don't need a girlfriend who stabs me in the back as soon as I'm turning my back on her. Who are you to reason my ex-girlfriend into thinking I did cheat on her? I didn't and you know it. And slowly but surely I'm getting the impression that you had something to do with it."

Amber opened and closed her mouth like a fish who was trying to breathe while lying on dry land. It was a shame Gabriella didn't have her camera with her. A picture of this would be the laugh of the month. "Come on, Amber, if you don't have to say anything else it would be nice if you just went missing, alright?" She asked her, impatiently to see her leaving, trying to ignore the fact that Troy had once again said he didn't cheat on her. Slowly but surely it was ending up as a hobby of his. Amber shot her a nasty glance. "What's this gotta do with you, Montez?" Troy took over Gabriella's answer: "Nothing, Terrell,", he said mimicking her last-name-calling, "But it actually would be nice if you got lost, you know?"

Slowly it sunk in that it really was over. Amber was devastated. How could Troy Bolton, East High's golden boy and her personal favourite, just go and dump her, East High's princess and, in her opinion, most beautiful girl? Unless …, yeah unless he started to develop new feelings for East High's queen, Gabriella Montez, – not that she would agree on that. She looked at Troy, only to find him starring at Gabriella. Was she right? Did he renew his old feelings? She wasn't sure about it, but if it was true, then both of them would be in for a vicious surprise. But for now, all cases seemed lost. Throwing one last hateful look at Gabriella, Amber turned on her heel, retreating to the main building. Troy looked after her, without feeling any remorse.

After about two minutes of silence, he turned his head to his side. Gabriella was looking at him as if she saw him for the first time in two years. "What?", he asked her, voice dangerously low. "You… you … you dumped her!" She couldn't believe her eyes. Surely she was dreaming; this couldn't be happening. But to her surprise, Troy nodded off-handed. "Of course, you don't think I would be able to do anything with her, constantly knowing that she wouldn't support me if I needed some support? I mean, denouncing me in front of my ex-girlfriend is not exactly what I would be calling supportive." She nodded, astonished.

So he felt denounced? That was surprising. He hadn't seemed to be affected as she had broken up with him. But a girl belittling him let him feel exposed. Damn, she should have tried that earlier if she had just known it. Unintentionally, she let a small smile cross her face, which didn't go unnoticed by Troy. "What's so funny?", he asked, curious about the answer. "Oh, nothing except that I was thinking that I should have tried to decry you in front of some of your other ex-girlfriends. It sure would have been more of an effect than everything else that I did."

He thought for a short moment, or at least pretended to do so, before nodding solemnly. "Well, maybe you're right there." They both gave a little laugh, surprised that they were actually having a civil conversation. Both embarrassed as they noticed it, they shut up the instant the giggle came out of their mouths. Ripping their gaze away from each other both looked into another direction, Gabriella towards the ground and Troy towards the sky. For several minutes, both of them remained silent, not wanting to ruin the momentarily peace they had gotten themselves into.

"Uh," Gabriella eventually said quietly. Troy lowered his head expectantly. What was she up to now? "Do you think …" She didn't know if she should go on, so Troy nodded to signal her she should. "Do you think you would be able to help us with the dance? Just… maybe?" He looked startled. Was he dreaming? Had she actually asked him to help her? He pinched himself slightly in the arm, just making sure he wouldn't wake up any moment. But it was real. "You mean … calling a truce and help?", he inquired and she nodded.

She wasn't going to forgive him for what he had done and she did nowhere near believe him and his version of the happenings, but she knew that she was dependent on him if she wanted to win that damn contest. And after that screaming row Amber had just pulled off without bashing an eyelid, Gabriella wanted to beat her more than everything. And if that everything included going on with hating Troy, then she would abandon it for a short amount of time if she just got the help she needed.

Shyly stretching her hand out to him, she looked at him, the hope revealed by her eyes once again. Sighing, he squeezed her hand. "Truce!" It was definitely time to strike a new path and why not begin here and now? Now having taken a load off her mind, Gabriella endowed him a real smile, one that he hadn't seen for so many days when he was around her. Turning around with ease, she hammered at the gym door. "Okay, guys, time to let us in again. He'll be helping!" The happy screams that came from the inside spoke for themselves.

Soo, guys, what do you think about this? Who of you is satisfied with the result and who isn't? Tell me if you want to make me happy… and if you want to have another regular update next week… I promise I'll really try and the chances are good, because by then all of my other tests will already have been taken and I'll have time. In the meantime, cross your thumbs for me, please, so I'll pass my tests in Latin, Maths and German. Thank you!

Until next time,

xoxo

Lena